Nuclear Stability

Consider the following isotopes. They are presented in the standard form ^A_ZX, where A is the mass number, Z the atomic number, and X the symbol for the element. Ignoring the expectations in stable vs unstable isotopes you found when investigate the ratio p:n, which do you think will be unstable?

• ⁵₂He

• ¹⁰₅B

• ⁵⁵₂₅Mg

• ¹⁷³₇₀Yb

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Consider the following isotopes. They are presented in the standard form ^A_ZX, where A is the mass number, Z the atomic number, and X the symbol for the element. Ignoring the expectations in stable vs unstable isotopes you found when investigate the ratio p:n, which do you think will be stable?

• ³⁴₁₇Cl

• ¹²⁴₅₀Sn

• ³₁H

• ¹³₇B

Which describes the conditions for nuclear stability correctly?

• p:n should be in general be 1:1 but there are exceptions for elements of various atomic numbers.

• p:n should be 2:3 for all elements, regardless of the atomic number of the element.

• p:n can be any ratio depending on the element, as long as the number of protons does not exceed the number of neutrons.

• p:n will start at 1:1 for low elements with low atomic number and increase to 1:1.5 as the atomic number increases.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8